RJ 

Q 

We 


UC-NRLF 


I 


IMS 


AMERICAN  HOME  SERIES 
NORMAN  E.  RICHARDSON,  Editor 


THE 
NERVOUS    CHILD 


BY 
EDITH  C.  JOHNSON 


THE  ABINGDON  PRESS 
NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


Copyright,  1920,  l>y 
NORMAN  E.  RICHARDSON 


EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

WHEN  a  child  is  naturally  predisposed  to  nervous- 
ness he  constitutes  a  particular  problem  for  his  pa- 
rents. In  such  cases,  one  of  their  first  duties  is  to 
avoid  stimulating  these  unfortunate  inborn  tenden- 
cies. Nervousness  may  be  transmitted  from  parent 
to  offspring.  The  fact  that  this  is  done  unconsciously 
in  no  way  lessens  its  reality. 

In  discussing  this  important  subject  of  social 
heredity,  a  modern  writer  describes  an  interesting 
experience : 

"I  came  on  a  nest  of  the  wild  duck  in  a  marsh 
as  the  young  birds  had  just  emerged  from  the  eggs. 
The  mother  duck  flew  off  and  disappeared  in  the 
sedge,  flapping  a  wing  to  which  she  pretended  injury. 
I  stood  by  the  nest  for  some  hours  and  watched  the 
young  birds.  The  greater  number  were  already 
active  and  displaying  an  interest  in  their  surround- 
ings. They  began  to  try  to  get  out  of  the  nest,  and 
I  took  them  one  by  one  in  my  hand  and  placed  them 
in  the  water,  where  in  the  stillness  that  reigned  they 
splashed  and  twittered  and  enjoyed  themselves. 
They  showed  not  the  slightest  fear  of  me,  nestling 
from  time  to  time  on  my  feet,  and  turning  intelligent 
eyes  upward  to  look  at  me,  evidently  quite  ready  to 
accept  me  in  the  fullest  confidence  as  their  guardian. 

"The  wild  duck  had  been  in  these  marshes  for  un- 
told ages.  She  had  been  here  even  in  the  days  when 
the  woolly  rhinoceros  left  its  remains  with  those  of 
the  cavemen  in  the  adjacent  hills.  During  all  this 
time  her  kind  had  been  one  of  the  most  universally 
hunted  among  wild  creatures.  The  spent  cartridges 
of  the  modern  sportsmen  strewed  the  bog  around. 
Yet  here  were  her  offspring  just  entering  on  the 
world  and  showing  no  sign  or  any  kind  of  any  inborn 
fear  of  this  the  hereditary  enemy  of  the  species. 

"After  a  time  I  moved  away  some  distance  to 


506o 


4  '"  THE  tifi-RVOUS  CHILD 

watch  what  would  happen.  The  mother  bird  re- 
turned and  alighted  nearby.  The  little  ducks  rushed 
toward  her  as  she  called.  I  could  observe  her.  She 
was  chattering  with  emotion.  Every  feather  was 
quivering  with  excitement.  The  Great  Terror  of 
Man  was  upon  her.  After  a  short  interval  I  ad- 
vanced toward  the  group  again.  The  mother  bird 
flew  away  with  a  series  of  loud  warning  quacks.  The 
little  ones  scattered  to  cover,  flapping  their  short 
wing  stumps  and  with  beaks  wide  open  cheeping  in 
terror.  With  difficulty  I  found  one  of  them  again  in 
hiding.  It  was  now  a  wild,  transformed  creature 
trembling  in  panic  which  could  not  be  subdued. 

"It  is  in  this  way,  and  under  conditions  of  the 
strongest  emotion,  that  the  accumulated  experience 
of  tens  of  thousands  of  generations  of  the  species  is 
imposed  on  young  birds.  Once  having  received  it, 
within  a  few  days,  even  within  a  few  hours,  they  pass 
into  another  world  from  which  they  can  never  be 
reclaimed.  In  the  numerous  experiments  with  wild 
ducks  which  I  made,  the  following  conclusions  stood 
out  without  any  exception.  The  little  ducks,  hatched 
out  from  the  eggs  taken  from  the  nest,  or  taken 
themselves  from  the  nest  the  first  day  after  hatch- 
ing, knew  nothing  of  any  fear  of  man,  and  they 
never  acquired  it  afterward  if  brought  up  with  do- 
mestic birds.  But  when  once  the  Terror  had  been 
transmitted  to  them  through  the  social  heredity  of 
their  species  they  could  not  afterward  be  tamed. 
When  brought  up  by  a  foster-parent  the  young  wild 
ducks  acquired  that  exact  relationship  of  friendliness 
to  man  which  the  foster-parent  displayed  and  which 
differed  considerably  according  to  the  birds  used  as 
foster-parents." — Benjamin  Kidd,  Science  of  Power, 
Chap.  X. 

With  her  unusually  clear  insight  into  child  nature, 
Miss  Johnson  has  set  before  the  parents  of  nervous 
children  the  most  common  errors  to  be  avoided. 
The  nature  of  nervousness  is  so  well  described  that 
her  practical  suggestions  for  overcoming  it  will  be 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  5 

easily  understood  and  applied.  The  study  is  neces- 
sarily brief  and  introductory.  It  is  not  an  adequate 
guide  in  all  cases.  It  does  point  out,  however,  the 
nature  of  those  types  of  nervousness  that  require 
treatment  which  only  specialists  can  give. 

NORMAN  E  RICHARDSON. 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

Tis  easier  to  prevent  bad  habits  than  to  break  them. — B. 
Franklin. 

Prevalency  of  Nervousness  in  Children — Causes  of  Nervousness 
in  Children — Symptoms  of  Nervousness  in  Children — Need 
of  Special  Treatment — Treatment  of  the  Nervous  Child — 
The  Regular  Life — Removal  of  Physical  Defects — Environ- 
ment of  Peace  and  Harmony — Cultivation  of  Right  Habits 
and  Virtues — Guarding  the  Imagination — Analysis  of  the 
Child's  Dreams — Activities  and  Interests — Love  of  Nature 
and  Religious  Training. 

PREVALENCY  OF  NERVOUSNESS  IN  CHILDREN 

HOW  many  a  mother,  when  her  child  has  been 
restless,  irritable,  sulky,  or  otherwise  badly 
behaved  before  "company"  has  turned  to  the  guest 
and  said,  apologetically,  Mary's  terribly  nervous," 
or  "Tommy's  such  a  nervous  child."  Then,  accord- 
ing to  her  own  temperament,  she  has  spasmodically 
scolded  and  shaken  the  child,  or  has  allowed  it  to 
tug  at  her  and  slap  her,  whine  or  wail,  with  occa- 
sional mild  reproofs  inserted  parenthetically  into  her 
attempted  conversation  with  the  guest.  In  either 
case,  neither  the  guest,  mother  nor  child  enjoyed  the 
visit,  and  each  probably  came  out  of  the  ordeal  with 
nerves  much  the  worse  for  wear. 

The  child  who  had  so  unpleasantly  dominated  the 
scene  was,  doubtless,  a  "nervous"  child.  Nor  are 
such  cases  isolated  or  rare.  The  bane  of  American 
life  is  the  production  of  nervous  people,  evidenced 
even  in  early  childhood.  Norsworthy  and  Whitley, 
in  their  recent  Psychology  of  Childhood,  state  that 
"about  5  per  cent  of  children  of  school  age  are  neu- 
rotic, meaning  by  that  that  they  are  sufficiently  far 
down  the  scale  of  nervous  stability  to  make  them 
susceptible  to  emotional  complexes  which  will  inter- 
fere with  good  adjustment  to  the  outside  world." 

The  very  fact  that  so  many  children  are  nervous 

7 


8  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

leads  many  a  mother  to  accept  this  condition  as  a 
matter  of  course — a  phase  in  the  child's  develop- 
ment. Instead,  it  should  be  recognized  as  a  danger 
signal  which,  though  not  morbidly  to  be  feared  or 
dreaded,  should  be  looked  upon  as  ample  cause  for 
special  observation  and  treatment.  The  parent  who 
knows  the  chief  causes  which  produce  nervous  chil- 
dren, will  be  able  either  to  ward  off  such  tendencies 
or  to  make  their  appearance  an  impossibility. 

CAUSES  OF  NERVOUSNESS  IN  CHILDREN 

The  greater  number  of  nervous  children  are 
probably  born  with  a  predisposition  to  nervousness 
which  is  a  part  of  their  inheritance.  Intelligent 
parents  who  recognize  the  possibility  of  such  an  in- 
heritance can  do  much  by  educational  means  to  over- 
come this  tendency.  Besides  disciplining  themselves 
to  self-control,  they  can  learn  what  to  eliminate  from 
and  what  to  insert  into  the  child's  environment  in 
order  to  prevent  injury  to  the  nervous  system  or  to 
strengthen  during  infancy  a  system  that  is  inherently 
sensitive. 

In  this  period  of  life  heredity  and  environment 
overlap.  In  fact,  all  through  early  childhood  imita- 
tion of  parents  and  others  in  the  home  is  so  strong 
an  educational  influence  that  doubtless  much  that  is 
sometimes  attributed  to  direct  inheritance  is  really 
due  to  imitation.  Various  factors  in  the  environ- 
ment, then,  may  be  causes  of  the  child's  nervousness. 

Of  these,  one  which  has  become  recognized  as  of 
growing  importance  is  that  of  unhygienic  living. 
The  brain  and  the  body  are  mutually  dependent  upon 
each  other.  Each  must  be  healthy,  or  mental  power 
and  activity  will  be  low.  The  brain  gives  vitality  to 
the  body  and  controls  the  processes  of  digestion,  res- 
piration, and  circulation.  A  healthy  condition  of  the 
blood,  which  feeds  and  nourishes  the  brain,  is  im- 
possible without  proper  food  and  enough  of  it,  suffi- 
cient exercise  in  the  open  air,  and  plenty  of  sleep. 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  9 

Many  children  are  allowed  to  cultivate  antipathies 
toward  certain  kinds  of  food,  choosing  their  own 
diet  according  to  the  caprice  of  the  moment.  The 
natural  results  are  indigestion  and  headache,  which 
in  turn  cause  irritability,  peevishness,  and  inertia. 
Dr.  Barker  says,  "Faulty  feeding  in  infancy  and 
early  childhood  may  lead  to  such  impoverishment 
of  the  tissues  and  such  stunting  of  growth  that  the 
ill  effects  can  never  be  recovered  from  in  later  life.'* 

Food  and  a  good  digestion  are  necessary  to  pro- 
duce a  proper  quality  of  blood.  Some  children  with 
poor  appetites  have  to  be  taught  that  it  is  their  duty 
to  eat  in  order  that  they  may  live,  work,  and  play. 
With  an  abundant  supply  of  such  food  as  is  suitable 
for  children,  and  plenty  of  fresh  air  and  exercise  to 
maintain  a  supply  of  pure  blood  to  the  brain,  the 
child  will  be  greatly  aided  in  overcoming  any  ner- 
vous tendencies.  An  out-of-door  life  leads  children 
to  exercise  their  muscles  more  than  any  indoor  play. 
Children  who  are  brought  up  in  such  a  way  as  to  be 
very  sensitive  to  changes  in  temperature  often  suffer 
through  life  as  a  result,  especially  if  they  are  com- 
pelled to  live  in  a  climate  like  that  of  the  northern 
States  of  the  United  States  or  of  Canada.  In  order 
that  the  skin  and  nervous  system  may  not  receive 
a  shock  at  every  variation  in  temperature,  children 
must  become  accustomed  early  in  life  to  the  cool  bath 
in  the  morning,  and  the  daily  walk  in  practically  all 
kinds  of  weather,  rain  or  shine,  warm  or  cold. 

Nor  should  it  be  forgotten  that  the  air  breathed 
in  during  the  night  must  also  be  fresh  if  the  sleep 
is  to  be  sound  and  revitalizing.  Many  children 
start  the  day  in  an  irritable,  peevish  frame  of  mind 
because  of  a  night  spent  in  the  close  atmosphere  of 
a  room  without  proper  ventilation.  With  lungs  and 
brain  thus  poisoned,  the  child  awakes  with  a  tired 
body,  and  a  heavy  and  perhaps  aching  head.  To 
keep  the  nervous  system  in  good  condition  refresh- 
ing sleep  in  a  well-ventilated  room  is  absolutely  nec- 
essary. 


io  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

Certain  physical  defects  which  need  attention  may 
prevent  the  child  from  enjoying  a  normal,  healthy 
existence.  Even  though  plenty  of  fresh  air  and 
exercise  are  available,  the  child  with  an  abnormal 
adenoid  growth,  for  example,  is  unable  to  inhale 
enough  of  that  fresh  air  to  keep  his  blood  in  a 
healthy  condition.  H.  Addington  Bruce  tells  of  a 
boy  who  was  taken  to  a  physician  to  be  consulted 
regarding  his  selfish,  sulky  disposition  and  his  poor 
record  in  school.  Upon  examination  the  doctor 
found  an  abnormal  growth  of  adenoid  tissue  in  the 
cavity  back  of  the  boy's  nose.  The  diseased  tissue 
acted  as  an  irritant  and  a  drag  on  his  nervous 
energy;  in  addition,  by  interfering  with  the  intake 
of  oxygen  it  lowered  the  nutrition  of  the  brain. 
Upon  the  removal  of  the  growth,  the  boy  became 
interested  in  his  school  work,  considerate  of  others, 
and  ceased  sulking.  Adenoid  trouble  is  often  the 
cause  of  nervousness  in  children,  manifested  by  sulk- 
ing, selfishness,  and  other  symptoms.  It  may  usually 
be  detected  by  the  flat,  insipid  appearance  of  the  vic- 
tim's face,  and  by  mouth  breathing,  particularly 
when  the  child  is  asleep. 

Another  common  physical  defect  of  the  nervous 
child  is  bad  teeth.  A  child  whose  teeth  are  decayed 
may  be  suffering  not  only  from  nerve  irritation,  but 
also  from  some  degree  of  poisoning  due  to  the  germs 
from  the  decaying  teeth,  which  he  swallows  with  his 
food.  Teeth  that  are  crowded  together  are  also 
a  source  of  nerve  irritation. 

Defective  eyesight  may  give  rise  to  various  ner- 
vous conditions.  This  is  more  difficult  to  discover 
since  during  childhood  and  youth  there  may  be  se- 
vere eye-strain  with  no  telltale  eye  symptoms  at  all. 
In  his  Handicaps  of  Childhood,  H.  Addington  Bruce 
gives  the  following  illustration:  uAn  eight-year-old 
girl,  previously  in  good  health,  and  with  no  more 
nervousness  than  is  displayed  by  the  average  child, 
began  to  show  traits  that  worried  her  parents.  She 
became  difficult  to  control,  querulous,  and  sullen  to 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  n 

an  extent  that  bordered  on  melancholia.  In  addi- 
tion, she  complained  of  indigestion  and  headache, 
symptoms  which  caused  her  parents  to  take  her  to 
a  physician  for  treatment.  His  medicines  and  the 
course  of  diet  he  prescribed  did  her  no  good,  and 
another  physician  was  consulted.  Then  began  for 
this  unfortunate  little  girl  a  weary  round  or  exam- 
inations by  doctor  after  doctor.  Every  means  of 
curing  her  headaches  and  indigestion  seemed  un- 
availing, and  her  nervousness  and  sullenness  in- 
creased apace.  Finally,  one  physician,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  the  girl's  eyesight  seemed  normal,  sug- 
gested that  she  be  examined  by  an  eye  specialist. 
Then,  for  the  first  time,  it  was  discovered  that  she 
had  a  serious  ocular  defect.  According  to  Percy  R. 
Wood,  who  reported  the  case  for  the  benefit  or  the 
medical  profession  in  general,  within  six  months 
after  she  first  put  on  spectacles  the  girl  was  entirely 
free  from  digestive  disturbances,  her  head  had 
ceased  to  ache,  and  her  melancholy  moroseness  had 
given  way  to  normal  good  nature." 

The  important  place  which  imitation  plays  in  the 
early  education  of  the  child  makes  him  particularly 
responsive  to  his  environment.  Irritability,  violent 
temper,  sulkiness,  extreme  excitability  may  therefore 
be  but  a  reflection  of  these  qualities  in  the  nervous, 
excitable,  irritable  parents.  "Just  as  cheerfulness 
and  kindliness  are  contagious,  so,  unfortunately,  are 
moroseness,  churlishness,  and  ill  will,  and  the  lajtter 
are  mental  states  which  are  most  harmful  to  the 
nervous  system"  (L.  F.  Barker). 

One  can  hardly  blame  the  tired  and  worn-out 
mother,  nearly  exhausted  by  her  many  household 
cares,  for  being  irritable  at  times,  but  the  child 
unconsciously  partakes  of  her  spirit.  When  mother 
is  cheerful  and  happy  the  child  is  apt  to  be  happy, 
but  when  mother  is  worried  and  nervous  the  child 
is  impatient  and  irritable.  In  explaining  sulkiness, 
H.  Addington  Bruce  speaks  of  the  importance  of 
the  parents'  example. 


12  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

"Many  parents,  though  wholly  unappreciative  of 
the  fact,  inspire  sulkiness  in  their  children  by  setting 
them  an  example  of  sulkiness.  A  striking  instance 
has  lately  come  under  my  personal  observation,  in 
the  experience  of  a  mother  who  is  continually  being 
annoyed  by  the  whining,  sulky  ways  of  her  four-year- 
old  daughter.  She  scolds  the  girl,  she  spanks  her, 
but  all  to  no  good.  Not  once  does  it  seem  to  occur 
to  the  mother  that  possibly  her  own  habit  of  sulking 
when  things  do  not  go  right  may  be  blamed  for  the 
sulkiness  of  her  child.  She  is  precisely  the  kind  of 
woman  to  whom  the  learned  Professor  Paul  Dubois 
addresses  these  scathing  words:  'You,  madam, 
who  complain  of  the  irritability  of  your  little  girl, 
could  you  not  suppress  your  own  ?  .  .  .  Remember 
the  proverb,  "The  fruit  does  not  fall  far  from  the 
tree."  ' 

"This  factor  of  example  in  the  causing  of  sulkiness 
is  something  that  parents  frequently  ignore.  In  a 
general  way  they  realize  that  their  children  are  likely 
to  imitate  them,  but  they  do  not  appreciate  the  subtle 
force  which  imitation  exercises  in  forming  the  men- 
tal states  and  moral  attitudes  of  the  young.  Time 
and  again  we  see  parents  talking  and  acting  as 
though  children  had  no  eyes  or  ears  or  memories; 
as  though,  indeed,  they  were  beings  quite  insensitive 
to  the  sights  and  sounds  of  their  surroundings. 

"Yet  normal  children  are  the  most  sensitive  and 
the  most  Suggestible'  of  beings.  Let  father  snarl 
and  mother  sulk,  and  little  Johnny  or  Mary  may  be 
pretty  confidently  counted  on  to  snarl  and  sulk  like- 
wise— unless  by  a  happy  chance  Johnny  and  Mary 
have  playmates  or  relatives  whose  lives  radiate  suffi- 
ciently strong  suggestions  of  cheerfulness  to  offset 
the  parents'  unhappy  influence.  Instruction  is  much, 
but  example  is  more.  Or,  as  wise  Pastor  Witte  puts 
it,  'Instruction  begins,  example  accomplishes.' ' 

Physicians  are  practically  agreed  that  "night  ter- 
rors" are  most  likely  to  appear  in  children  having  a 
nervous,  excitable  father  or  mother.  Parents  can 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  13 

hardly  expect  their  children  to  be  self-controlled  if 
they  themselves  allow  worry,  temper,  fear,  jealousy, 
etc.,  to  gain  the  mastery  over  them.  Dr.  Barker  offers 
encouragement  to  all  who  realize  their  weakness 
in  controlling  themselves  when  he  says  that  "it  is 
entirely  possible,  with  long  training,  practically  to 
banish  anger,  worry,  irritability,  and  uncharitable- 
ness  from  one's  life." 

Very  often  the  nervous  child  is  the  product  of 
overindulgence  on  the  part  of  the  parents.  Perhaps 
the  worst  sufferer  in  this  respect  is  the  only  child, 
though  in  many  families  of  several  children  there 
may  be  a  Joseph  upon  whom  all  the  best  things  are 
showered  by  father  or  mother  or  both.  Such  a  child 
is  usually  overprotected  in  early  childhood.  For 
fear  that  he  may  be  exposed  to  hardship  or  danger, 
he  is  not  allowed  to  play  out  of  doors  with  other 
children,  or  to  see  anything  which  will  cause  him 
mental  suffering.  The  nervous  system,  thus  over- 
sensitized  in  early  years,  suffers  the  more  keenly 
when  the  close  parental  protection  is  removed. 
Sooner  or  later  every  child  is  exposed  to  pain  and 
discomfort  of  some  kind.  His  early  training,  in- 
stead of  attempting  to  exclude  him  from  all  painful 
and  disagreeable  experiences,  should  help  him  to  en- 
dure them  courageously.  "Physicians  who  work 
among  nervous  cases,"  says  Dr.  Barker,  "realize 
how  often  the  child  who  has  been  too  much  pro- 
tected from  pain  becomes  the  victim  of  nervous 
breakdown  later  in  life." 

The  overindulgent  parent  continues  the  spoiling 
process  by  yielding  to  the  child's  outbreaks  of  tem- 
per in  order  to  stop  its  crying.  Before  long  the 
child  learns  that  by  exhibiting  a  violent  temper  he 
can  gain  what  he  desires.  Uncontrolled  fits  of  tem- 
per, if  of  frequent  occurrence,  play  havoc  with  the 
nervous  system  of  the  child.  With  advancing  years 
the  ability  to  achieve  self-control  becomes  increas- 
ingly difficult.  The  lack  of  self-mastery  becomes 
habitual.  It  results  in  defective  will  power.  The 


i4  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

overindulged  child  must  usually  pay  heavily  in  later 
years  for  the  short-sightedness  of  its  parents. 

Describing  the  self-centered  and  unhappy  victims 
of  uncontrolled  parental  affection,  H.  Addington 
Bruce  says:  "Hysterical  pains,  contractures,  swell- 
ings, even  hysterical  blindness,  have  been  observed 
in  children  who,  after  having  been  unduly  indulged, 
feel  that  their  father  or  mother,  as  the  case  may  be, 
is  no  longer  as  attentive  to  and  lenient  with  them  as 
they  would  like.  More  frequently,  under  such  con- 
ditions, the  symptoms  of  nervousness  are  chiefly 
mental,  or,  ir  physical,  are  confined  to  muscular 
twitchings,  slight  involuntary  movements  of  the  face, 
head,  hands,  and  similar  manifestations.  Unhap- 
pily, the  true  significance  of  these  is  often  over- 
looked. They  are  thought  to  be  defects  which  the 
child  will  'outgrow,'  and  in  many  cases  they  certainly 
are  outgrown,  to  all  appearance.  But,  if  the  moral 
weaknesses  underlying  them — the  self-centered- 
ness,  the  deficiency  in  emotional  control — are  not 
in  the  meantime  corrected,  at  any  crisis  in  adult 
life  there  is  likely  to  result  a  nervous  breakdown 
or  a  serious  attack  of  hysteria.  Indeed,  in  not  a  few 
cases  of  adult  hysteria,  the  casual  agency  of  sel- 
fishness is  unmistakably  in  evidence  to  those  ac- 
customed to  interpreting  nervous  symptoms.  There 
are  plenty  of  men  and  women  whose  chronic  neu- 
roticism  is  motivated  by  a  subconscious  craving  to 
be  the  center  of  attraction,  or  to  be  perpetually 
dominant  in  the  family  life.  There  are  other  un- 
fortunates who,  when  their  will  is  seriously  crossed, 
take  refuge  in  various  forms  of  nervous  disease." 

Sensitive,  imaginative  children  may  become  ner- 
vous as  a  result  of  fright  caused  by  an  accident,  or 
by  a  threat  intended  as  a  means  of  discipline.  A 
child  of  six  who  was  struck  by  an  automobile  when 
crossing  a  street,  for  some  months  after  the  accident 
jumped  at  the  slightest  unexpected  sound  and  was 
unable  to  sleep  quietly.  Though  five  years  have 
passed  since  the  accident,  she  is  still  nervous  about 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  15 

riding  in  automobiles,  and  continually  requests  the 
driver  not  to  go  fast. 

More  serious  and  permanent  results  are  often  the 
consequence  of  threats  carelessly  expressed  by  par- 
ents or  nurses  to  frighten  children  into  "being  good.'* 
One  young  man,  who,  during  his  college  career,  was 
subject  to  frequent  nervous  breakdowns,  traced  them 
to  a  severe  fright  in  early  childhood  which  was  oc- 
casioned by  such  a  threat.  When  he  showed  signs 
of  being  naughty,  his  mother  told  him  that  if  he 
wasn't  good,  a  man  with  a  big  knife  would  come  and 
take  him  away.  This  frightened  him  into  tempo- 
rary obedience.  One  day,  as  he  was  running  over 
into  a  neighbor's  yard,  the  neighbor  came  toward 
him,  holding  a  knife  in  his  hand.  The  terrified 
child  ran  home  screaming,  possessed  with  the  idea 
that  this  was  the  man  to  whom  his  mother  had 
referred.  He  has  never  recovered  from  the  shock 
of  that  fright,  which  he  claims  is  the  cause  of  his 
frequent  nervous  breakdowns. 

Another  young  student  afflicted  with  stammering 
traced  its  origin  to  a  similar  scare.  He  had  been 
told,  frequently  when  naughty,  that  some  day  be- 
cause of  his  disobedience,  the  policeman  would  come 
and  take  him  away.  One  day,  the  policeman  came  to 
the  door  to  ask  his  mother  a  question.  The  child 
answered  the  doorbell.  The  sudden  appearance  of 
the  big  man  in  uniform  caused  him  to  run  under  the 
dining-room  table,  pulling  the  cloth  down  to  hide 
himself.  When  he  was  rescued  by  his  mother  he 
was  trembling  violently  and  unable  to  speak.  Since 
then  he  has  stammered,  though  his  speech  was  per- 
fectly normal  before  this  fright. 

When  parents  realize  that  their  children  may  be 
handicapped  for  life  by  the  scare  of  the  "bogey-man 
in  the  attic,"  the  "black  bear  in  the  cellar,  or  the 
"policeman  who  will  catch  them  if  they  do  thus 
and  so,"  they  will  doubtless  be  more  careful  of  the 
methods  employed  in  the  management  of  their  boys 
and  girls. 


16  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

Nervous  troubles  may  be  provoked  and  morbid 
fears  incited  by  certain  gory  fairy  tales  and  eerie 
ghost  stories  told  to  children  predisposed  to  ner- 
vousness. Said  Angelo  Mosso,  the  famous  Italian 
scientist,  "Every  ugly  thing  told  to  the  child,  every 
shock,  every  fright  given  him,  will  remain  like 
minute  splinters  in  the  flesh  to  torture  him  all  his 
life  long." 

Several  cases,  reported  to  him  by  physicians  who 
are  specialists  in  nervous  diseases,  are  described  by 
H.  Addington  Bruce.  They  are  such  typical  exam- 
ples of  this  cause  of  nervous  troubles  both  among 
children  and  adults  that  two  are  quoted  at  length 
below. 

The  influence  of  the  wrong  kind  of  fairy  tale  is 
well  illustrated  by  a  little  girl  whose  morbid  irri- 
tability, disobedience,  and  crying  spells  led  her 
parents  to  take  her  to  a  physician  for  examination. 
Excessive  jealousy  of  her  brother  seemed  to  be  the 
cause.  "In  the  course  of  the  analysis  the  discovery 
was  made  that  the  girl  had  frequent  dreams  of  see- 
ing both  her  mother  and  her  brother  cruelly  treated. 
In  one  dream  witches  shut  her  mother  in  a  cave  to 
starve  to  death,  and  threw  her  brother  into  a  large 
caldron  of  boiling  water,  leaving  him  to  perish  mis- 
erably. 

"  'This  dream,'  the  little  girl  naively  explained 
to  the  physician  who  was  analyzing  her  mental 
states,  'is  just  like  the  fairy  tales  I  read.' 

"Other  dreams  of  cruelty  were  likewise  found  to 
be  drawn  from  the  reading  of  unpleasant  fairy  tales. 
So  that,  although  in  this  case  jealousy  was  undoubt- 
edly the  chief  cause  of  the  nervous  condition  for 
which  treatment  was  required,  fairy  tales  also  played 
a  part  in  directing  the  course  of  the  little  girl's  mor- 
bid thinking  and  her  difficult  behavior.  Warned  by 
this  revelation  of  the  dream-analysis,  her  physician 
made  it  a  point  to  notify  her  mother  that  unless  steps 
were  taken  to  change  the  girl's  reading  matter  she 
might  develop  traits  of  character — harshness,  cold- 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  17 

ness,  indifference  to  the  sufferings  of  others — that 
would  handicap  her  throughout  life." 

Continuing,  Mr.  Bruce  says:  "The  fairy  tale 
abounding  in  gory  elements  may  breed  an  abnormal 
timidity,  passing  sometimes  beyond  the  category  of 
a  character  defect  to  that  of  a  positive  disease.  A 
typical  instance  is  found  in  the  experience  of  a  young 
New  York  boy.  'Our  son/  his  parents  told  the 
physician,  to  whom  they  took  him  for  treatment, 
'has  suddenly  become  excitable  and  nervous,  afraid 
to  go  outdoors  alone,  and  still  more  afraid  to  sleep 
alone.  If  left  to  himself  after  having  been  put  to 
bed,  he  often  wakes  out  of  a  sound  sleep,  shrieking 
for  us.  When  we  go  to  him  he  seems  dazed,  and  for 
some  moments  does  not  recognize  us.  But  he  can- 
not tell  us  what  has  frightened  him,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing does  not  remember  his  alarm.' 

"From  this  brief  description  the  physician  at  once 
recognized  that  he  had  to  deal  with  a  case  of  what 
is  technically  known  as  pavor  nocturnus,  but  better 
known  to  the  lay  public  as  'night  terrors.'  Having 
had  a  thorough  training  in  medical  psychology,  he 
was  well  aware  that  night  terrors  are  grounded  in 
disturbing  experiences  of  the  waking  life.  Accord- 
ingly, he  questioned  the  parents  closely. 

"Insistently  they  denied  that  anything  had  oc- 
curred to  cause  their  son  undue  anxiety  or  alarm. 
Then  the  physician  resorted  to  psychological  analy- 
sis of  the  boy's  mental  states  and,  before  long,  made 
the  discovery  that  his  mind  was  full  of  frightful 
images  of  giants,  wizards,  and  slimy  monsters. 
Promptly  he  summoned  the  father  and  mother  and 
asked  them : 

"  'Have  you  been  reading  or  telling  fairy  stories 
to  your  boy  lately?' 

"  'Why,  yes,'  the  mother  replied.  'He  is  passion- 
ately fond  of  them,  and  I  tell  him  some  every  day.' 

'  'And  what,  may  I  ask,  are  the  stories  that  you 
tell  to  him  most  frequently?' 

"  'Jack  the  Giant  Killer  is  one.     He  is  also  par- 


i8  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

ticularly  fond  of  The  Boy  Who  Did  Not  Know 
How  to  Shiver/ 

'Well,  madam,'  said  the  physician,  gravely,  *I 
must  ask  you  either  to  stop  telling  him  fairy  tales  or 
to  choose  for  him  fairy  tales  with  less  gruesome  ele- 
ments in  them.  He  is  a  boy  of  nervous  tempera- 
ment, and,  figuratively  speaking,  he  has  been  pois- 
oned by  the  fear-images  that  are  so  abundant  in  the 
stories  he  has  heard.  Take  him  out  into  the  open 
air,  turn  his  thought  to  other  things,  and  be  more 
discreet  in  your  choice  of  reading  matter  for  him. 
Unless  you  do  this  there  is  danger  that  he  will  yet 
suffer  from  something  far  more  serious  than  night 
terrors.' ' 

Morbid  dread  of  blood,  for  example,  and  of  cer- 
tain odors  and  sounds  may  also  be  traced  to  ultra- 
sanguinary  tales  and  stories.  Fear  of  the  dark,  the 
most  common  dread  of  childhood,  may  originate  in 
the  same  way.  The  vivid  pictures  lodged  in  the 
child's  mind  remain  there  throughout  life,  a  source 
of  weakness.  Dr.  T.  A.  Williams,  a  specialist  in 
nervous  troubles,  says:  "Morbid  fears  are  a  great 
distress  to  many  people.  They  nearly  always  have 
arisen  in  early  childhood,  and  have  been  inculcated 
by  injudicious  nurses,  tales  of  goblins  and  fairies 
being  most  prolific  in  this  respect." 

It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  all  fairy 
tales  are  harmful.  It  is  not  their  elimination  that  is 
wanted,  but  discrimination  in  the  choice  of  tale  to  be 
told  the  child.  The  normal,  healthy  child  probably 
will  not  be  injured  by  any  of  these  stories,  but  with 
the  highly  imaginative,  impressionable  boy  or  girl 
care  must  be  employed  in  the  use  of  the  fairy  tale  as 
a  means  of  entertainment.  However,  the  rightly 
chosen  fairy  tale  and  myth  are  an  important  means 
of  education  in  early  childhood.  They  help  to  culti- 
vate the  imagination,  they  give  an  outlook  upon  dif- 
ferent nations,  people,  and  classes  of  society,  and  they 
intensify  in  later  years  the  grown  child's  enjoyment 
of  all  literature  because  of  his  understanding  of  the 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  19 

frequent  allusions  to  persons  and  scenes  in  these 
same  tales  and  myths. 

Small  children  who  have  older  brothers  or  sisters, 
or  fond  young  uncles  assisting  in  their  upbringing 
are  often  subjected  to  such  ordeals  of  teasing  that 
their  nervous  systems  may  suffer  seriously  and  their 
dispositions  become  hopelessly  ruined.  One  writer 
cites  the  case  of  a  little  girl  whom  she  first  saw  when 
a  child  of  three.  She  was  then  healthy,  happy  and 
of  a  joyous  disposition.  Some  years  later,  when 
again  visiting  in  the  home,  she  saw  the  same  child, 
yet  could  hardly  believe  it  was  the  same.  Her  face 
looked  thin  and  drawn,  and  bore  the  marks  of  the 
peevish,  fretful,  irritable  temper  which  she  had  de- 
veloped. Seeking  an  explanation  of  such  a  trans- 
formation, the  guest  finally  discovered  it  in  an  ador- 
ing young  uncle  who  teased  the  child  almost  contin- 
uously from  the  time  he  came  home  until  the  little 
girl  went  to  bed.  Neither  he  nor  the  mother  seemed 
to  realize  that  such  treatment  daily  was  undermining 
the  girl's  nervous  constitution  and  ruining  her  dispo- 
sition. 

Even  fathers  are  sometimes  so  unwise  as  to  tease 
their  children,  especially  when  the  latter  are  quick 
to  respond.  The  effects  may  not  always  be  irrita- 
bility and  ill-temper.  There  may  be  extreme  rest- 
lessness or  excitability,  evidenced  by  inability  to  sit 
still,  or  to  restrain  screams  and  giggling  upon  the 
slightest  provocation.  Lack  of  control  ofthe  nerves 
is  the  natural  result  of  such  treatment. 

A  cause  of  nervousness  in  children  which  is  more 
common  than  most  parents  realize  is  mental  conflict 
over  sex  questions.  Dr.  Ernest  Jones,  a  noted  Eng- 
glish  medical  psychologist,  may  be  quoted  as  an  au- 
thority on  this  subject.  He  says: 

"The  extent  to  which  such  matters  occupy  the 
mind  of  the  young  child  is  always  underestimated  by 
adults,  and  is  impossible  to  determine  by  a  casual 
examination,  for,  on  the  one  hand,  the  later  mem- 
ories for  these  years  are  always  deficient  and  er- 


20  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

roneous,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  this  aspect  of  the 
child's  mind  is  rarely  accessible  to  direct  inquiry,  on 
account  of  the  barrier  always  existing  on  the  subject 
between  child  and  adult.  As  the  child  grows  older 
the  desires  and  tendencies  in  question  meet  with  such 
obstacles  as  an  increasing  sense  of  shame,  guilt, 
wrongness,  remorse,  and  so  on,  and  are  fought 
against  by  the  child,  who  now  half-consciously  strives 
to  get  away  from  them,  to  forget  them,  or  as  it  is 
technically  termed,  to  'repress'  them.  The  repressed 
mental  processes  are  later  thus  forgotten,  and,  along 
with  them,  a  major  part  of  the  mental  experiences 
associated  with  them  in  time. 

"It  is  almost  a  regular  occurrence  for  children  of 
the  age  of  four  or  five  to  turn  from  their  parents, 
to  withdraw  into  themselves,  and  to  pursue  private 
speculations  about  the  topics  concerning  which  they 
have  been  denied  information,  whether  by  direct 
refusal  or  by  evasion.  Phantasies  of  bitter  resent- 
ment against  the  parent  commonly  occur  at  this  time, 
and  often  form  the  basis  not  only  of  a  later  want  of 
confidence,  or  even  a  more  or  less  veiled  hostility 
as  regards  the  parents,  but  also  of  various  subse- 
quent disharmonies,  neurotic  disturbances,  and  so 
forth." 

SYMPTOMS  OF  NERVOUSNESS  IN  CHILDREN 

Having  considered  some  of  the  factors,  physical 
and  mental,  which  lead  to  the  development  of  the 
nervous  child,  the  next  inquiry  is :  how  may  a  mother 
know  if  her  child  is  showing  any  of  the  symptoms 
of  nervousness?  General  weakness  and  ill  health, 
with  a  tendency  quickly  to  become  fatigued  and  to 
suffer  from  headaches,  are  the  chief  characteristics 
of  the  nervous  child.  If  the  weakness  is  marked,  it 
is  usually  evidenced  by  extreme  listlessness  and  in- 
difference to  the  people  and  places  of  daily  life.  Ill 
health  is  usually  shown  by  underweight,  extreme 
pallor  of  skin  and  lips,  circles  under  the  eyes,  and 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  21 

bloodless  appearance  of  the  finger  nails.  Sometimes 
the  face  may  be  fat,  but  the  rest  of  the  body  thin; 
this  is  often  the  case  with  nervous  children. 

Nervous  children  of  the  highly  sensitive,  imagina- 
tive type  may  be  physically  weak,  but  overactive  and 
restless  because  of  lack  of  poise  and  nerve  control. 
We  find  them  extremely  excitable — "high-strung" 
their  relatives  would  say — abandoning  themselves 
without  control  to  the  joy  or  grief  of  the  moment. 
The  supreme  effort  of  their  parents  and  teachers  is 
to  try  to  "keep  them  still,"  an  impossible  feat  from 
attempting  which  both  sides  usually  emerge  ex- 
hausted and  irritable.  Such  children  probably  have 
inherited  their  nervous  tendencies,  or  reflect  the 
temperaments  of  those  by  whom  they  are  brought 
up.  Overstimulation  of  a  nature  which  should  have 
an  environment  of  poise,  harmony,  and  quiet  has 
accentuated  inherent  tendencies. 

Still  more  difficult  to  live  with  are  the  nervous 
children  whose  symptoms  are  irritability  and  bad 
temper.  Again  it  is  true  that  very  often  these  char- 
acteristics are  but  reflections  of  the  parents'  own  dis- 
positions. Never  do  Burns's  lines — 

"O  wad  some  power  the  giftie  gie  us 
To  see  oursel's  as  others  see  us! 
It  wad  from  monie  a  blunder  free  us, 
And  foolish  notion" — 

find  a  more  fervent  echo  in  our  hearts  than  when  we 
observe  such  instances.  However,  any  of  the  other 
causes  discussed  above  may  be  at  the  root  of  the 
disagreeable  temper  and  general  crankiness. 

A  common  symptom  of  nervousness,  which  should 
not,  however,  be  taken  too  seriously  unless  it  occurs 
with  great  frequency,  is  talking  and  walking  in  sleep. 
Indigestion,  or  too  much  excitement  are  usually  at 
the  root  of  it,  and  if  the  child  is  otherwise  bright 
and  healthy,  these  symptoms  should  disappear  at 
about  the  eighth  year. 

More  serious,  however,  are  the  so-called  night 


22  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

terrors  which  so  disturb  the  sleep  of  many  children 
that  they  awake  in  the  morning  feeling  more  tired 
than  when  they  went  to  bed.  Though  night  terrors 
are  very  similar  to  the  nightmares  of  adult  years, 
they  indicate  a  greater  degree  of  nervous  strain.  A 
typical  attack  has  been  described  by  H.  Addington 
Bruce  as  follows : 

"The  child  who  is  a  victim  of  night  terrors  gen- 
erally has  an  hour  or  so  of  quiet  sleep  after  going 
to  bed.  Then  he  wakes,  shrieking  for  his  mother. 
When  the  parents,  alarmed,  rush  to  his  room,  they 
are  likely  to  find  him  out  of  bed,  crouching  behind 
a  chair,  or  in  the  corner.  His  eyes  are  staring  and 
full  of  horror.  He  seems  not  to  recognize  his 
parents,  though  he  will  eagerly  clutch  at  them  for 
protection.  After  a  few  minutes  the  attack  passes 
off,  he  quiets  down,  returns  to  bed,  and  sleeps 
soundly  until  morning,  when,  as  a  rule,  he  has  no 
conscious  remembrance  of  his  fears  of  the  night  be- 
fore. 

"While  the  night  terror  is  at  its  height  the  child 
may  have  ghastly  hallucinations,  representing  a  con- 
tinuance in  the  waking  state  of  the  dream-images 
that  have  distressed  him.  Also,  instead  of  leaping 
out  of  bed,  he  may  merely  sit  up,  or  may  find  it  im- 
possible to  move  at  all,  as  is  the  case  with  many 
adults  when  coming  out  of  a  nightmare." 

Investigation  and  study  have  shown  that  physical 
conditions,  contrary  to  former  opinions,  do  not  of 
themselves  account  for  night  terrors,  and  the  night- 
mares into  which  they  are  apt  to  develop  in  adult 
life.  The  children  who  are  troubled  by  them  are 
always  of  a  sensitive,  nervous  organization  which 
has  been  subjected  to  some  emotional  stress.  A 
nervously  high-strung  child,  if  kept  from  emotional 
pressure,  may  sleep  soundly  without  any  interruption 
by  night  terrors;  but  if  he  suffers  any  excessive 
emotional  disturbance,  he  becomes  likely  to  suffer 
at  once  not  only  night  terrors  but  more  serious 
nervous  troubles.  Over  anxious  parents,  by  their 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  23 

influence  and  example,  may  cause  the  child  to  worry 
over  imagined  dangers  which  will  trouble  him  in 
his  sleep.  Fears  excited  by  the  wrong  kind  of  stories 
and  fairy  tales,  and  by  threats  or  frights  are  further 
important  causes  of  these  night  afflictions. 

Growing  out  of  them  and  often  resulting  from  the 
same  causes  is  the  characteristic  of  extreme  timidity. 
Fear,  not  only  of  the  dark  and  of  strange  places,  but 
of  being  alone,  and  of  meeting  people  are  expressions 
of  this  nervous  trait.  The  child  so  afflicted  usually 
blushes  deeply  when  spoken  to,  or  when  called  upon 
to  recite  in  school,  becomes  almost  tongue-tied;  or 
stammers,  when  addressed  by  anyone  outside  of  the 
immediate  family,  and  shows  similar  signs  of  a  most 
uncomfortable  and  continually  present  self-conscious- 
ness. Life  becomes  a  miserable  burden  to  the  person 
who  fails  to  conquer  this  nervous  tendency. 

"When  a  child  frequently  sulks  "  says  Mr.  Bruce, 
"it  is  always  a  sure  indication  of  mental  or  nervous 
stress/'  Unhygienic  living  and  physical  defects  such 
as  those  previously  discussed  are  the  chief  causes  of 
this  nervous  symptom.  The  home  environment, 
especially  the  attitude  of  parents  toward  the  child, 
is  another  important  source  of  sulkiness.  It  is  usu- 
ally the  very  sensitive  child  who  sulks,  and  nagging, 
scolding,  or  otherwise  punishing  him  only  increases 
his  feeling  of  being  ill-treated  and  having  a  grievance 
against  the  world.  Sometimes  the  favoritism  of 
parents  toward  a  brother  or  sister  whether  real 
or  only  imagined  may  cause  the  child  who  feels  his 
inferiority  and  craves  greater  affection,  to  shut  him- 
self out  from  the  world  which  appears  to  him 
so  dismal  and  unpleasant,  and  seek  melancholy 
comfort  in  his  sulks.  If  his  parents  have  answered 
his  questions  untruthfully,  causing  him  to  lose  con- 
fidence in  them,  the  sulks  may  be  his  way  of  showing 
the  shock  which  such  loss  of  faith  has  been  to  his 
nervous  system.  Sulky  children  are  never  happy 
children.  Though  the  ground  for  their  sulks  may 
be  wholly  imaginary,  it  should  be  removed  before 


24  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

a  permanently  sullen,  pessimistic  temperament  has  a 
chance  to  develop. 

Sometimes  a  child  develops  a  comparatively  sud- 
den change  in  character — as  was  the  case  of  the  little 
girl  who  had  been  teased  by  her  uncle — as  a  symp- 
tom of  nervous  trouble.  Parents  should  try  earnestly 
to  discover  the  cause  of  such  a  change,  and  by  proper 
treatment  endeavor  to  restore  the  child's  nervous 
organization  to  healthy  normality. 

NEED  OF  SPECIAL  TREATMENT  FOR  THE  NERVOUS 

CHILD 

Since  all  of  these  symptoms  are  but  nature's 
danger  signals  warning  us  of  trouble  ahead,  if  they 
are  not  heeded,  serious  consequences  may  follow. 
It  is  usually  during  middle  and  late  adolescence  that 
the  nervous  instability  of  childhood  produces  the 
serious  diseases  of  adults.  The  overindulged, 
spoiled  child,  who  has  never  been  trained  in  habits 
of  control  of  the  emotions,  may  become  the  victim 
of  hysteria  which  is  chiefly  characterized  by  "insta- 
bility of  emotional  control,  excessive  love  of  day- 
dreaming, a  tendency  to  forget  all  unpleasant  emo- 
tional experiences,  and  to  originate  a  second  per- 
sonality almost  wholly  separated  from  the  real  world 
about  him." 

The  highly  excitable  child,  restless  and  excessively 
active  and  of  weak  constitution,  may,  during  adoles- 
cence, develop  the  well-known  disease  popularly 
called  St.  Vitus's  dance.  Its  main  characteristics  are 
fairly  well  known — uncontrollable  jerks  and  twitches 
of  head,  face,  and  limbs,  and,  if  severe,  interference 
with  speech  and  swallowing.  Mentally  the  victim 
suffers  from  poor  sleep,  and  is  generally  unstable  and 
capricious.  St.  Vitus's  dance  occasionally  begins  with 
the  sulks  in  early  childhood. 

Life-long  invalidism,  often  beginning  with  general 
debility  and  weakening  of  will-power  in  adolescence 
and  leading  to  early  senility,  may  be  the  price  which 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  25 

the  nervous  child  must  later  pay  for  parental  neglect 
of  marked  symptoms  during  childhood,  such  as  night 
terrors,  sulks,  and  extreme  timidity.  Physicians  have 
found  that  many  diseases  of  neurotic  adults  are  the 
result  of  fully  developed  nervous  troubles  of  child- 
hood. 

Where  the  child's  heredity  predisposes  him  to  ner- 
vous disorders,  and  his  environment,  instead  of  re- 
pressing, tends  to  accentuate  such  an  inheritance, 
even  such  dreaded  diseases  as  insanity  and  epilepsy 
may  result.  Extremely  violent  temper,  uncontrolled, 
is  a  preparation  for  such  disorders.  There  is  much 
encouragement  to  parents,  however,  in  the  conclu- 
sions of  the  great  majority  of  scientists  that  nervous- 
ness is  at  bottom  an  acquired  rather  than  an  in- 
herited disorder,  and  that  in  its  many  forms,  in- 
cluding insanity,  it  represents  an  imperfect  adapta- 
tion to  environment,  due  largely  to  lack  of  proper 
training.  The  chief  fault  in  this  training  has  been 
the  neglect  on  the  part  of  those  intrusted  with  the 
individual's  nurture  to  develop  emotional  and  moral 
control  during  the  first  years  of  life.  This  places  the 
responsibility  for  overcoming  already  established 
symptoms  largely  upon  the  shoulders  of  parents. 
If,  therefore,  they  discover  that  their  children  are 
showing  symptoms  of  nervousness,  they  should  be- 
gin at  once  to  give  the  treatment  necessary  to  over- 
come them. 

TREATMENT  OF  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

If  the  case  is  one  which  a  physician  ought  to 
handle,  the  child  immediately  should  be  placed  under 
his  care.  But  careful  observation  of  the  child  and 
intelligence  on  the  part  of  the  parents  without  the 
aid  of  a  physician  can  often  discover  the  cause  of 
the  nervousness  and  the  best  way  to  administer  the 
correct  treatment. 


26  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

A  REGULAR  LIFE 

A  regular  life  in  which  the  hours  for  eating,  sleep- 
ing, and  exercise  are  fairly  well  fixed,  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  health  of  any  child.  "Plenty  of 
good  simple  food — including  milk,  meat,  vegetables, 
and  fruit — is  approved  by  all  authorities."  Refer- 
ence is  made  at  the  end  of  this  pamphlet  to  good 
manuals  on  the  care  and  feeding  of  children.  From 
these  parents  can  learn  what  foods  are  suitable  for 
children  and  in  what  proportion  they  should  be 
served.  The  child  should  learn  to  eat  and  digest 
these  wholesome  foods,  and  not  be  allowed  to  cul- 
tivate food  antipathies. 

Play  in  the  open  air  is  necessary  for  a  good, 
healthy  appetite.  The  nervous  child  needs  the 
hardening  of  the  body  which  is  the  result  of  out-of- 
door  exercise  of  some  kind  in  all  sorts  of  weather. 
Dr.  Barker  says  that  a  child  who  has  formed  "good 
habits  in  taking  cool  baths,  walking  in  all  weather 
and  at  all  temperatures,  playing  and  exercising  in 
the  open  air  will  have  learned  many  lessons  in  the 
steeling  of  his  mind  to  bear  pain  and  to  ignore  small 
discomforts." 

During  the  school  year  systematic  gymnastic  ex- 
ercises should  be  used.  If  these  are  not  provided, 
parents  can  teach  their  older  children  some  forms  of 
exercise  to  be  taken  upon  rising.  My  System,  by 
J.  P.  Miiller,  referred  to  at  the  end  of  this  pamphlet, 
is  suggestive  and  practical.  Dr.  Barker  considers  it 
a  mistake  on  the  part  of  mothers  to  have  the  nervous 
child  excused  from  the  regular  gymnastic  exercises  in 
school  since  he,  more  than  the  normal  healthy  child, 
needs  systematic  muscular  exercises.  If  properly 
regulated,  therefore,  it  will  benefit  the  child.  But 
he  advises  parents  who  doubt  the  reliability  of  the 
supervision  of  the  gymnastic  work  at  school  to  con- 
sult the  family  physician  with  regard  to  the  character 
and  amount  of  exercise  to  be  taken. 

Physicians  state  that  one  reason  why  women,  in 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  27 

adult  life,  are  more  inclined  to  nervousness  than 
men  is  because  they  have  less  opportunity  in  their 
play  life  as  children  to  undergo  the  "hardening  proc- 
ess" which  is  so  beneficial  to  the  nervous  system. 
It  may  be  well,  however,  to  utter  a  warning  against 
excesses  in  sports  like  tennis,  football,  and  basketball 
where  there  is  great  competition  and  rivalry.  The 
nervous  young  person  may  be  injured  both  in  mind 
and  body  by  overindulgence  in  these  vigorously  com- 
petitive sports. 

Since  sleep  is  very  necessary  to  the  nervous  child, 
heavy  meals  or  emotional  disturbance  just  before 
bedtime  should  always  be  avoided.  Certain  forms 
of  punishment  at  bedtime,  such  as  sending  the  child 
supperless  to  bed,  or  recalling  all  his  misdeeds  of  the 
day  and  thus  arousing  strong  emotions  of  an  un- 
pleasant nature,  are,  of  course,  most  injurious  to 
body  and  mind.  The  amount  of  sleep  should  be 
sufficient,  and  the  retiring  and  rising  hours  known 
and  observed  daily  by  the  child.  For  persistent  sleep- 
lessness the  family  doctor  should  be  consulted.  The 
child  who,  from  infancy,  is  properly  fed  and  clothed, 
and  given  sufficient  fresh  air,  exercise  and  sleep  has 
the  most  important  assets  in  gaining  the  sound  body 
that  is  so  important  a  factor  in  maintaining  a  sound 
mind. 

REMOVAL  OF  PHYSICAL  DEFECTS 

Certain  physical  defects  have  already  been  men- 
tioned as  often  unsuspected  causes  of  nervousness  in 
children.  Their  removal  may  produce  an  entire 
change  in  the  disposition  and  behavior  of  the  child. 
Physicians  cite  many  cases  of  children  suffering  from 
night  terrors  who,  after  having  adenoid  growths  re- 
moved, were  no  longer  troubled  in  their  sleep.  Other 
fears  also  may  be  caused  by  physical  annoyances 
which  should  be  removed,  as  in  the  following  case 
cited  by  Dr.  Barker :  "A  young  girl,  recently  brought 
to  me  because  of  an  unaccountable,  persistent,  and 


28  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

distressing  fear  of  'burglars  in  the  house/  was  found 
to  be  suffering  from  goiter;  on  removal  of  a  portion 
of  the  thyroid  gland  the  child  rapidly  improved  and 
on  last  report  was  only  occasionally  troubled  by  the 
fear;  it  seems  probable  that  she  will  soon  be  entirely 
free  from  it." 

The  teeth  and  eyes,  other  common  sources  of  ner- 
vousness, need  to  be  examined  with  sufficient  fre- 
quency to  make  sure  that  they  are  not  the  cause  of 
nervousness  in  the  child. 

AN  ENVIRONMENT  OF  PEACE  AND  HARMONY 

For  all  nervous  children,  an  environment  of  peace 
and  harmony  is  of  supreme  importance.  The  great- 
est factor  here  is  the  poise  and  self-control  of  the 
parents.  "Many  a  mother  unconsciously  produces 
nervousness,  hysteria,  and  irritation  in  the  children 
by  her  own  voice  and  manner,  and  does  not  realize 
it  until  the  situation  is  serious." 

Many  times  the  mother's  irritation  is  due  to  over- 
work in  her  efforts  to  keep  home  and  children  clean 
and  attractive  in  appearance.  These  mothers  will 
have  to  be  satisfied  with  the  lesser  achievements  in 
housekeeping  if,  realizing  that  first  things  should 
come  first,  they  wish  to  be  successful  in  homemakmg. 
After  all,  it  is  the  spirit  of  the  home  that  makes 
it  so  dear  to  the  family  rather  than  the  polished 
windows,  furniture,  and  floors.  True,  the  mother 
has  a  certain  amount  of  obligation  toward  the  latter, 
but  they  should  not  be  allowed  to  usurp  the  time  she 
needs  to  rest  tired  nerves  and  weary  body.  Some 
sane  words  have  been  written  on  this  subject  by  M. 
L.  Westcott.  "Poise  is  not  always  'the  gift  of  the 
gods' ;  too  often  it  must  be  sought  for  diligently.  It 
is  oftenest  found  on  the  Road  of  Health,  but  it  must 
be  remembered  that  body  and  mind  act  and  react 
upon  each  other.  Physical  soundness  lends  buoyancy 
to  spirit,  and  conversely,  mental  control  and  disci- 
pline predispose  to  bodily  fitness.  The  mother's 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  29 

part,  then  is  to  see  to  it  that  her  lack  of  nerve  power 
be  supplied  by  proper  rest  and  treatment;  that  every 
effort  be  made,  first  of  all,  to  conserve  and  build  up 
the  nerve  force,  recklessly  consumed  in  the  thou- 
sand and  one  demands  of  her  position;  and  when 
the  foundation  is  laid,  the  effort  for  speech-control, 
the  search  for  spiritual  balance  and  sanity,  will  be 
all  the  more  speedily  rewarded.  Peace  and  serenity 
of  soul  are  not  the  outcome  of  that  intense  striving 
which  ties  brain  and  nerve  and  repulses  the  thing  de- 
sired, they  are  the  result,  rather,  of  putting  oneself 
in  harmony  with  all  that  is  good  and  true  and  beau- 
tiful, or  dwelling  upon  comforting  and  tranquillizing 
thoughts,  and  refusing  to  entertain  worry,  anxiety, 
apprehension,  and  the  host  of  'little  foxes*  that 
would  lay  waste  our  lives." 

The  attitude  of  the  mother  will  have  a  powerful 
influence  upon  the  father's  temper  when  he  returns 
home  in  the  evening  tired  and  sometimes  discour- 
aged. Likewise  the  appreciative  word  or  smile  on 
the  part  of  husband  will  go  far  toward  lifting 
mother's  load  of  care.  The  methods  of  sympathetic 
interest,  cool  judgment,  and  counter  suggestion  can 
the  more  easily  be  substituted  by  parents  for  scold- 
ing, nagging,  and  faultfinding  when  each  stands 
ready  to  bear  the  other's  burden. 

CULTIVATION  OF  RIGHT  HABITS  AND  VIRTUES 

The  nervous  child  needs  the  power  of  self-control. 
The  cultivation  of  right  physical  habits  is  an  im- 
portant element  here.  In  this  connection  Dr.  War- 
ner says:  "The  infant  needs  training  even  from  the 
moment  of  birth.  Habits  of  regularity  in  the  times 
of  feeding  and  sleeping  and  in  bodily  requirements 
may  be  established  and  lay  a  foundation  for  acquir- 
ing further  character."  If  the  child  has  not  formed 
regular  habits  of  living,  he  should  begin  at  once  to 
do  so.  Where  the  parents  are  unable  to  remedy  a 
condition  for  which  they  are  largely  responsible,  as 


30  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

in  the  case  of  the  older  nervous  child,  a  good  camp 
may  succeed  in  establishing  regular  habits  of  living 
and  thus  greatly  strengthen  the  nervous  system.  The 
school  is  also  an  aid.  The  nervous  child,  however, 
should  not  be  sent  to  school  too  early,  but  should 
start  a  year  or  two  later  than  the  normal  child.  And 
once  in  school,  parents  must  be  careful  that  their 
ambitions  do  not  permit  them  to  force  the  child 
ahead — thus  engaging  him  in  competition  which  will 
be  injurious. 

The  cultivation  of  such  virtues  as  courage  and 
self-denial  will  increase  self-control.  The  power  of 
suggestion  and  of  imitation  again  is  helpful  in  this 
regard.  "A  child  should  never  have  suggested  to 
him  that  he  is  afraid.  He  should  be  assured  con- 
stantly that  he  is  brave,  loyal,  and  fearless.  The 
daily  repetition  of  these  suggestions  will  contribute 
much  to  actual  acquirement  of  the  traits  of  character 
suggested." 

One  parent  tells  of  using  suggestion  to  help  her 
two-year-old  overcome  his  fear  of  the  dark.  For  ten 
successive  nights  she  took  his  hand,  leading  him  into 
the  dark  room  saying,  "Nice  dark,  restful  dark;  we 
go  to  sleep  in  the  dark,  we're  not  afraid  of  the  dark, 
are  we?  No." 

On  each  of  the  first  nine  nights  the  child  replied, 
"No,  no,  naughty  dark.  Willie  'fraid  of  dark." 
But  on  the  tenth  night  the  victory  was  won  when  his 
mind  responded  to  the  mother's  suggestion  and  he 
too  repeated,  "We're  not  afraid  of  the  dark."  Since 
that  night  he  has  not  been  afraid  of  the  dark.  The 
suggestion  that  only  babies  are  afraid  often  helps 
the  boy  who  wants  to  be  mother's  little  man  to  make 
a  supreme  effort  for  self-control. 

Courage  may  be  instilled  also  by  getting  the  child 
to  laugh  at  his  fears  by  showing  him  how  harmless 
they  are.  We  once  knew  a  nervous  child  of  two  who 
had  such  a  fear  of  dust  sweepings  from  the  floor  that 
she  would  scream  if  they  blew  near  her.  Some  chil- 
dren have,  a  similar  fear  of  cats,  dogs,  hens,  etc.  By 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  31 

letting  the  child  get  near  them,  talking  about  them 
and  explaining  the  different  movements  and  sounds 
which  are  instinctive  to  them,  the  parents  can  help 
him  to  overcome  unreasonable  fear.  The  nervous 
child  will  seldom  gain  courage  and  self-control  by 
having  his  fears  laughed  at  by  adults.  He  needs  sym- 
pathetic understanding  and  patient  explanation  to 
help  him  conquer  his  weakness.  A  love  for  humanity, 
and  a  realization  that  the  blind,  maimed,  and  crip- 
pled have  the  same  feelings  and  desires  that  we  have 
will  overcome  the  morbidly  sensitive  nervous  child's 
tendency  to  let  his  thoughts  dwell  in  a  fearful  man- 
ner upon  some  afflicted  person  whom  he  has  seen 
during  the  day. 

The  control  of  temper  and  irritability  is  often  a 
serious  struggle  for  the  weak,  nervous  child  and 
for  its  parents.  Purposefully  ignoring  the  attack  of 
temper,  or  isolating  the  child  for  a  period  is  usu- 
ally the  most  effective  method. 

"In  older  children  the  habit  of  giving  way  to 
temper  may  sometimes  be  broken  by  inculcating  the 
conviction  that  one  who  loses  his  temper  makes  a 
fool  of  himself,  loses  his  dignity  and  excites  the  dis- 
dain and  contempt  of  his  fellows.  The  horror  of 
looking  ridiculous,  of  making  a  donkey  of  oneself, 
may  be  a  most  powerful  lever  in  conquering  a  ten- 
dency to  attacks  of  furyn  (L.  F.  Barker). 

In  Problems  of  Temper,  another  monograph  in 
the  American  Home  Series,  helpful  suggestions  for 
dealing  with  this  fault  are  discussed  at  some  length. 

For  some  nervous  children  it  is  harder  to  conquer 
irritability  than  temper.  The  example  of  parents 
and  brothers  and  sisters,  together  with  patience  on 
their  part,  is  the  best  aid.  The  companionship  of 
playmates  is  important  also  in  helping  to  control  ir- 
ritation. These  frank  young  truth-tellers  will  soon 
let  the  selfish,  irritable  child  know  what  his  failings 
are,  and  will  refuse  to  play  with  him  if  he  shows 
no  disposition  to  master  his  weakness.  Often  too 
in  his  games  with  others  this  child  must  deny  himself 


32  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

for  the  sake  of  the  game.  The  nervous  child  is  usu- 
ally self-centered,  and  needs  the  discipline  in  self- 
denial,  patience,  self-control  which  association  with 
other  children,  sisters  and  brothers,  cousins  and 
playfriends  helps  him  to  obtain.  In  this  companion- 
ship, moreover,  he  is  helped  to  face  painful  conse- 
quences of  his  conduct,  since  such  action  brings  the 
commendation  of  his  peers.  In  the  games  he  must 
often  make  a  decision  and  act  quickly;  this  helps  the 
timid,  vacillating  child  to  overcome  his  besetting 
weakness  and  gain  the  self-confidence  which  he 
needs. 

GUARDING  THE  IMAGINATION 

The  overactive,  nervous  child,  whose  imagination 
runs  away  with  him  when  the  least  bit  excited,  must 
be  kept  from  having  this  faculty  over  stimulated  by 
stories,  scares,  teasing,  etc.  Even  very  great  pleas- 
ure must  not  be  too  long  anticipated  and  thus  allow 
the  accumulation  of  feelings  and  emotions  which 
will  exhaust  the  excitable  nervous  child. 

Dr.  Barker  says,  "It  is  a  serious  mistake  to 
lead  the  young  child  into  experiences  that  belong 
properly  to  a  later  age.  When  children  under  ten 
years  of  age  are  made  to  travel  extensively,  to  visit 
museums  and  picture  galleries,  to  attend  the  theater 
and  the  opera,  they  are  introduced  to  entertainment 
wholly  unsuited  to  their  time  of  life  and  which  they, 
in  their  immaturity,  are  entirely  unfitted  to  enjoy." 
Even  that  form  of  entertainment  which  we  think 
of  as  belonging  to  the  children,  the  circus,  should 
not  be  allowed  to  reveal  its  delights  to  them  until 
the  age  of  nine.  By  that  time  the  nervous  system 
may  be  strong  enough  to  endure  the  many  strange 
people  and  things  without  later  allowing  the  im- 
agination morbidly  to  dwell  upon  them.  If,  how- 
ever, at  this  age,  there  are  symptoms  of  nervous 
troubles,  the  child  should  not  be  taken  to  places 
where  these  will  be  aggravated. 

When  the  sleep  is  broken  by  night  terrors  an 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  33 

analysts  of  the  child's  dreams  often  reveals  the  cause 
of  the  disturbance.  The  dreams  of  children  usually 
relate  either  to  things  which  they  dread  or  desire. 
They  are  ordinarily  much  less  complicated  than  adult 
dreams  and  therefore  are  more  readily  interpreted. 
Says  H.  Addington  Bruce:  "The  frequency  with 
which  dreams  of  a  given  type  are  dreamed  has,  in- 
deed, much  to  do  with  their  significance  as  indications 
of  character  defects.  An  occasional  dream  of  gorg- 
ing oneself — or,  say,  of  being  the  center  of  attrac- 
tion at  an  evening  party — would  not  be  valid 
ground  for  indicting  a  little  boy  of  greed,  or  a  little 
girl  of  vanity.  But,  if  such  dreams  are  habitual,  or 
if,  despite  a  seeming  variety  in  the  dreams  reported 
by  son  or  daughter,  there  is  discernible  an  under- 
current of  desires  incompatible  with  strength  and 
beauty  of  character,  then  the  wise  parent  will  not 
delay  in  supplementing  dream  study  by  educational 
measures  to  correct  the  indicated  defects. 

"Dream-analysis  should  particularly  be  utilized 
to  help  children  who — being  free  from  adenoids, 
eye-strain,  or  other  adverse  physical  conditions — 
show  a  sudden  and  unfavorable  change  in  disposi- 
tion. Some  cause  of  emotional  stress  is  undoubtedly 
present,  and  it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  the 
child  will  betray,  through  the  content  of  his  dreams, 
what  is  troubling  his  mind.  Dream-analysis  will 
thus  give  insight  into  secret  jealousies,  secret  de- 
sires, secret  fears,  secret  mental  conflicts  of  many 
kinds,  that  are  provocative  both  of  unfavorable 
changes  in  character  and  of  outright  ill-health." 

By  this  means  it  has  been  discovered  that  the 
nervous  child  may  be  suffering  mental  conflict  over 
sex  questions  to  which  parents  have  given  untruthful 
or  evasive  answers.  When,  very  early,  children 
begin  to  inquire  about  their  origin  and  birth,  honest, 
straightforward  answers  will  satisfy  their  curiosity 
when  untruths  or  evasions  might  arouse  it  and 
lead  to  an  unhealthy  secret  pondering  of  the  sub- 
ject. For  the  parent  who  has  difficulty  in  answering 


34  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

questions  upon  sex  matters,  certain  literature  on  the 
subject  may  be  of  service.  The  pamphlet  in  the 
American  Home  Series,  "What  to  Say"  in  Telling 
the  Story  of  Life's  Renewal,  will  be  found  useful 
and  practical. 

ACTIVITIES  AND  INTERESTS 

"Education  to  idleness  is  education  to  nervous- 
ness." Work  which  is  adapted  to  the  child's  ability 
furnishes  a  wholesome  outlet  for  his  activity.  It 
occupies  his  attention  and  thus  takes  his  mind  away 
from  thoughts  of  self.  The  nervous  child,  as  well 
as  the  normal  child,  should  be  given  the  privilege  of 
performing  regularly  simple  duties  in  the  home. 
He  should,  moreover,  be  encouraged  to  cultivate  in" 
terests  which  will  make  him  forget  bodily  ills  or 
mental  annoyances.  The  workshop  where  he  can 
"putter"  with  tools  which  are  his  very  own,  the 
garden  where  he  can  plant  and  care  for  such  flowers 
and  vegetables  as  he  wishes,  the  closet  or  set  of 
drawers  where  he  can  deposit  for  safe  keeping  such 
collections  as  he  may  wish  to  make — these  the 
parent  should  take  especial  pains  to  make  of  interest 
to  the  nervous  child,  whose  instability  of  tempera- 
ment or  indifference  will  not  incline  him  naturally 
to  the  interests  which  his  more  normal  brother  and 
sister  grow  into  almost  instinctively. 

The  nervous  child  should  not  be  encouraged  to 
consider  himself  different  from  other  children. 
Neither  should  his  peculiarities  be  discussed  in  his 
presence.  As  much  as  possible  let  his  mind  be  oc- 
cupied with  interesting  occupations  and  people,  that 
it  may  grow  away  from  unhealthy  introspection  to 
the  development  of  a  cheerful  outlook  upon  life  and 
an  enjoyment  of  its  delights  and  duties. 

The  nervous  child  is  a  great  challenge  to  parents. 
Shall  they  allow  him  to  continue  to  cultivate  charac- 
teristics which  will  make  life  a  burden  to  him,  and 
which  may  make  him  a  drag  upon  society,  or  shall 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  35 

they  do  all  in  their  power  to  create  the  environment 
and  establish  the  habits,  both  by  precept  and  exam- 
ple, which  will  develop  him  into  a  helpful  and  hon- 
orable Christian  citizen — a  contribution  to  society 
of  whom  they  may  feel  justly  proud?  "It  is  on  the 
development  of  a  really  efficient  parenthood  that 
the  future  of  society  depends." 

LOVE  OF  NATURE  AND  RELIGIOUS  TRAINING 

The  cultivation  of  a  love  of  nature  will  counteract 
the  tendency  to  fear  insects,  bugs,  moving  bushes, 
etc.  The  sighing  of  the  wind  and  the  rustling  of  the 
leaves  at  night  need  not  trouble  the  child  who  has 
been  led  to  love  nature  and  feel  the  nearness  of  its 
Creator.  The  idea  of  God  as  a  protector  is  perfectly 
natural  to  the  child  who  has  a  loving  mother  and 
father.  Through  the  evening  prayer  a  feeling  of 
trust  and  confidence  can  be  inspired  that  will  drive 
away  the  fears  which  are,  after  all,  only  a  mental 
attitude. 

The  following  prayers,  in  which  protection  and 
care  are  invoked  by  the  child,  are  taken  from  Fred- 
erica  Beard's  Prayers  for  Use  in  Home,  School,  and 
Sunday  School: 

"Heavenly  Father,  thou  wilt  hear  me, 

Bless  thy  little  child  to-night, 
Through  the  darkness  be  thou  near  me, 
Keep  me  safe  till  morning  light." 

"Now  I  am  going  to  lie  down  to  sleep,  I  pray  thee,  O  God, 
who  seest  in  the  dark  as  well  as  in  the  light,  to  take  care  of  me 
and  bless  me."  Amen. 


"Father  of  all,  who  dost  never  sleep,  keep  watch  over  me 
while  I  rest.  I  will  put  my  trust  in  thee  and  not  be  afraid, 
for  no  harm  can  come  to  me  when  thou  art  my  keeper.  Send 
thy  peace  and  love  into  my  heart  and  fill  my  mind  with  happy 
thoughts.  Forgive  all  in  me  that  thou  canst  not  love,  and  make 
me  like  Jesus.  For  Jesus'  sake.  Amen." 

Religion  has  a  real  and  important  place  in  the 
removal  of  fears  from  the  life  of  the  nervous  child. 


36  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

Religion  can  greatly  help  the  mother  to  gain  that 
poise,  that  quietness  of  mind,  which  is  the  very 
antithesis  of  nervousness.  A  vital  religious  ex- 
perience sustains  and  supports  the  tranquil  mind. 
The  atmosphere  of  faith  is  that  of  peace.  "My 
peace  I  leave  with  you,"  "Let  not  your  heart  be  trou- 
bled," are  words  of  Christ  which  express  the  serenity 
of  his  own  spirit. 

Prayer  is  the  pathway  leading  to  repose.  Mr. 
Calvin  Dill  Wilson,  writing  in  Mothers'  Magazine, 
March,  1911,  points  out  the  refreshment  that  comes 
to  anxious  mothers  through  prayer : 

"The  mother,  laden  with  many  anxieties,  should 
learn,  if  she  has  not  yet  fully  learned,  that  she  needs 
and  can  have  a  source  of  refreshment  for  the  spirit 
always  at  hand.  As  a  breath  of  fresh  air  to  the 
body,  as  a  page  of  a  charming  book  to  the  mind, 
so  there  is  refreshment  for  the  spirit  in  a  few  mo- 
ments of  real  prayer.  Apart  from  all  reasonings 
about  prayer  and  what  it  can  or  cannot  accom- 
plish in  bringing  what  is  asked  for — and  we  certainly 
believe  that  it  can  accomplish  much — the  effect  of 
sincere  prayer  upon  ourselves  is  unquestionable. 
There  is  usually  an  immediate  feeling  of  relief,  of 
comfort,  in  quiet  communion  with  our  Maker.  Presi- 
dent Eliot,  of  Harvard  University,  has  expressed  it 
thus,  'We  need  a  daily  bath  in  the  Infinite  for  our 
spirits.' 

"The  mother  may  not  be  able  to  stop  and  rest; 
she  may  not  be  free  to  lay  aside  her  work  to  read, 
or  to  walk,  but  in  the  midst  of  work  she  can  take  a 
moment  frequently  to  commune  with  God,  and  so 
gain  that  refreshment  and  strength  of  spirit  that 
will  make  her  work  lighter,  her  outlook  brighter. 
The  mother  who  has  not  learned  yet  really  to  pray, 
should  try  to  get  beyond  the  mere  form  of  a  few 
hurried  words  at  night  and  morning,  and  to  enter 
into  the  deeper  secret  of  real  prayer,  communion 
with  the  divine  Friend.  This  reflex  effect  of  prayer 
is  not  to  be  thought  of  as  all  that  is  to  be  accom- 


THE  NERVOUS  CHILD  37 

plished  by  prayer;  God  docs  grant  petitions  that  are 
good  for  us;  he  encourages  and  inspires  us  to  work 
for  the  bringing  about  of  the  ends  we  desire.  But 
we  have  the  right  also  to  prove  to  ourselves  the 
immediate  strengthening  and  comforting  influence 
of  prayer,  and  to  act  upon  what  is  clear  in  our  own 
experience." 

REFERENCES 

HANDICAPS  OF  CHILDHOOD,  by  H.  Addington  Bruce,  published 
by  Dodd,  Mead  &  Co.,  New  York. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  MENTAL  HYGIENE  APPLIED  TO  THE  MANAGE- 
MENT OF  CHILDREN  PREDISPOSED  TO  NERVOUSNESS,  by 
Lewellys  F.  Barker,  M.D.  Publication  No.  2  of  the  National 
Committee  for  Mental  Hygiene,  50  Union  Square,  New 
York  City. 

THE  NERVOUS  SYSTEM  OF  THE  CHILD,  by  Francis  Warner, 
M.D.,  published  by  The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

PSYCHOLOGY  OF  CHILDHOOD,  by  Norsworthy  and  Whitley,  pub- 
lished by  The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

The  following  books  are  recommended  also  to  parents: 
THE  CARE  AND  FEEDING  OF  CHILDREN,  by  L.  E.  Holt  (fourth 

edition),  published  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York. 
HYGIENE  OF  THE  NURSERY,  by  L.  Starr  (fourth  edition),  pub- 
lished by  P.  Blakiston's  Son  &  Co.,  Philadelphia. 
MY  SYSTEM:   FIFTEEN  MINUTES'  WORK  A  DAY  FOR  HEALTH'S 
SAKE,  by  J.  P.  Miiller.     English  Translation  by  G.  M.  Fox- 
Davies,    New    York.    The    Anglo-Danish    Publishing    Co., 
New  York. 


THE  AMERICAN  HOME  SERIES 

NORMAN  B.  RICHARDSON,  Editor 


1.  THE  NATION'S  CHALLENGE  TO  THE  HOME 

2.  How  ONE  REAL  MOTHER  LIVES  WITH  HER  CHILDREN 

3.  PARENTHOOD  AND  HEREDII  * 

4.  THE  ROOTS  OF  DISPOSITION  AND  CHARACTER 

5.  THE  FIRST  YEAR  IN  A  BABY'S  LIFE 

6.  THUMB-SUCKING 

7.  THE  EDUCATION  OF  THE  BABY  UNTIL  IT  Is  ONE  YEAR  OLD 

8.  FIRST  STEPS  TOWARD  CHARACTER 

9.  THE  SECOND  AND  THIRD  YEARS 

10.  THE  EDUCATION  OF  THE  CHILD  DURING  THE  SECOND  AND 

THIRD  YEARS 

11.  THE  MOTHER  AS  PLAYFELLOW  (YEARS  ONE,  Two,  AND 

THREE) 

12.  PROBLEMS  OF  TEMPER 

13.  THE  PROBLEM  OF  FIGHTING 

14.  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF  YOUNG  CHILDREN 

15.  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  CHILDREN 

16.  THE  HOME  KINDERGARTEN 

17.  THE  RELIGIOUS  NURTURE  OF  A  LITTLE  CHILD  (YEARS 

FOUR  AND  FIVE) 

1 8.  THE  NERVOUS  CHILD 

19.  ON  TRUTH  TELLING  AND  THE  PROBLEM  OF  CHILDREN'S 

LIES 

20.  THE   GOVERNMENT    OF    CHILDREN    BETWEEN   Six  AND 

TWELVE 

21.  THE  DRAMATIC  INSTINCT  IN  CHILDREN 

22.  DRAMATICS  IN  THE  HOME 

23.  TABLE  TALK 

24.  SUNDAY  IN  THE  HOME 

25.  A  YEAR  OF  GOOD  SUNDAYS 

26.  PICTURE  HOUR  IN  THE  HOME 

27.  STORY-TELLING  IN  THE  HOME 

28.  Music  IN  THE  HOME 

29.  TRAINING  IN  THRIFT 

30.  "WHAT   TO    SAY"    IN  TELLING  THE    STORY  OF  LIFE'S 

RENEWAL 

31.  SEX  DISCIPLINE  FOR  BOYS  IN  THE  HOME 

32.  YOUTH'S  OUTLOOK  UPON  LIFE 

33.  BUILDING  FOR  WOMANHOOD 

34.  RHYTHM  AND  RECREATION 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN     INITIAL     FINE     OF    25     CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  5O  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


NOV  11  19.,, 

NOV  24  1933 
NOV  16  1934 

SEP    1  1947 

De5'57JM 

MAY  2  11958 
MY16'58MS 


SEP22" 


i 

Bind 
Gaylord 

Maker 
Syracuse 


•^'-m~ 


Wt,o.^fl 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


vr:',fl. 


-,-,,;  B 


m 


SK 


